Inhale, exhale, sweat – Why hot yoga makes me feel so lively

40 degrees Celsius and the only task I am confronted with in that very moment is to concentrate on my downward-facing dog pose. Drops of sweat are hitting my yoga mat in regular intervals and my face has reached a light red color. How I got into this? Well, it is Sunday evening and I am right in the middle of a hot yoga class, more precisely in a Moksha class.

Feel good

While I was starting to lift up my right leg into the air my inner voice confidently assured: “Keep concentrating, it’s good for you and you will feel so much better after”. This was the day of my very first hot yoga class. I clearly remember the feeling when I left the hot yoga room, sat down on the bench to take some sips from my water bottle and paused for a moment. It was somehow unexplainable, but I had a strong feeling of contentment. I just felt so right.

What makes Moksha yoga good for my body?

I basically went to the Moksha yoga class out of pure curiosity and because I had somehow heard of it before. But to be honest I was not aware of the positive influences this yoga practice would have on my body and my mind. The standard Moksha yoga class begins with a savasana, a resting pose that is followed by a series of poses. In a regular Moksha class there is 40-45 poses, which are designed to go through the whole body. In the middle of the class there is another savasana followed by poses on the floor to challenge your upper body. At the end of the class, there is one more savasana to finally give your body relaxation. Moksha yoga therefore is a great combination of toning and strengthening of your body on the one hand and calming your mind on the other. You really feel relived after one hour of class, as your body has been detoxified throughout your intense yoga practice.The sweating basically helps you to flush all toxins from the skin and the heat allows your body to go deeper into the postures. All these elements let hot yoga become an ideal form of balance for my everyday life. Especially now during these dark months and cold months hot yoga is just perfect for body and soul.

My favorites for a hot yoga class

To practice hot yoga you don’t need any special equipment. It is just important not to bring plastic bottles as they can leach hormone-disrupting chemicals like bisphenol-A. Instead, you should bring a stainless steel bottle or one that is made out of glass. Also, take a towel with you and don’t forget your all-time-companion for yoga classes: your yoga mat. I summarized my yoga favorites (of course all sustainable) for you:

Where to practice hot yoga?

There are popping up more and more hot yoga studios all over Europe. As I currently live in Lund, Sweden, I chose the studio “oneHOTspot” in Lund (if you are interested have a look at their website: http://www.onehotspot.se/) I really like this studio because they offer all classes in English and have great teachers and a big variety of courses! Also the studio atmosphere is super nice since it is not too big and you just feel cozy there. Most of their studio furniture is also upcycled 🙂 So do something good for your body and mind and sweat it out!